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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Jun 4, 2023 15:08:07 GMT -5
The earth stirred and cried and spat out its anguish as fire and lava. While they didn’t know what that meant, it was clear that Mt. Drakolt was the eye of the storm, as the Ashlands suffered more than any other region in Charon. The Witch witnessed the ground opening up in the middle of Moonveil village, far, far away from the volcano; she wondered how was the Ashlands faring, if it was this intense at Moonglade? Maybe she should stop by the Rookery to see if Zarius' bar was still up - she would have a story or two to tell the charcoal fellblood. You know, Zarius, remember how everyone complained about the stairs to my house? About that... the earthquakes actually made my house fall down the mount! Thankfully, it grew some legs and is now wandering around the forest... So no more stairs!
When the calling came, Kamille wasn’t surprised. It was only a matter of time for the guilds to get involved, and while the Mage's Guild was quicker in their assembling, she wasn’t deaf to the whispers from the Golden Consortium as well, although those... Those often came with second intentions...
Either way, it was time to go, and at first she felt torn as she looked at the young fellblood that kept her company the last few weeks. Ube had a remarkable progress, and she was often one to believe they needed to go out in the real world to learn to face it. Still, she wasn’t sure that traveling on dragon back was necessary - they weren’t in that much of a hurry, right? The Guild wanted them to investigate the kidnappings, right? She had missed the opportunity to do so when she was taken herself, back at Zeinav. Gods, so much had happened since then...
Since Arid Mesa.
Kamille shook such thoughts away, as she settled on going to the Ashlands by boat, a small bathtub of a ship with a good captain and crew she trusted. Kalaf could take them there more quickly, but dragonriding came with its own sets of dangers and problems. Kalaf was a gentle giant, but he was still a terrifying sight, as all black drakes ought to be. Not only that, but the old gentleman was awfully big and imposing, native to the shadows of Mt. Drakolt itself. They might need a bit more discrecy than that...
"Ube, how about we pay my friends at the Ashlands a visit? Are you okay with a trip by boat?"
She had told them the basics of the mission, and that hopefully they would have a place to stay as they investigated. When they arrived, they would get to meet the Black Quills - her infamous "crows" - that were nearby on a mission in her name.
But their plans were slightly deviated from that, as the open sea also held its own dangers...
They were deep into the night, the ship silent, floating upon a dark water that barely reflected any light. The moon was hidden behind a cloudy sky; and that's when the fog rolled around, shy at first and then thick as a blanket, blurring the shape of another, silent ship...
They should've suspected.
They were good.
They rolled in, uninvited, as silent as the fog that covered for their way. It muffled their steps when they invaded the ship, and when the alarm sounded, half of the tripulation was already in chains.
Kamille and Ube were sound asleep when they barged into their dark room, barely allowing for a reaction. The aggressors looked like simple, rugged pirates, but that was far from the truth: it took only a spike in the room's temperature, as Kamille's sillhouette was enveloped by flames, for them to take a different approach and slap on her wrists a different kind of cuff, one that immediately contained her mana and avoided her spellcasting. The flames immediately died out, once again throwing the room into the shadows - and for all the power she had, it couldn’t do her anything if she didn’t have access to it! Kamille, the Witch of Moonglade, became as magic-less as a peasant.
Still, chaos struck the room as Kamille became as much of a nuisance and trouble as she could, screaming, kicking and biting at her captors. Her eyes quickly went to Ube, who their aggressors hadn’t reached yet. They were her responsibility! She couldn’t allow for them to get hurt!
"CAWWWWW! CAAAAAAW! CAWWW CAW CAW! INTRUDEEEERSSS! CAWWW!"
"....mom?! What is happening....?!"
The raven promptly went wild, waking up on a second, flying around the room in all the might his panic afforded him. Mishap, the flower pixie, seemed paralized by fear, hovering in one corner of their modest room.
Mischief and Mishap were not as easily captured, they could...
They could....
"Mischief! Mishap! Go find the Black Quills! Ube! Open the hatch for them!"
Alerted of Ube's presence, her captor warned another pirate behind him, motioning to the young fellblood. Kamille tried to wrestle the captors, but was promptly rewarded with a punch to the temple.
And then there was only darkness.
Mischief was still there, clawing at the glass of the hatch, eager to get out.
"CAW CAW CAW CAAAAWWWWW!!!"
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Post by Ube Calisto on Jun 4, 2023 15:59:27 GMT -5
When Ube was told about the mission given to Kamille, they were admittedly nervous. This would be their first time leaving Moonglade. That comfortable familiarity will be replaced with the unsettling unknown. Though, things were not as they were before. The purple fellblood was being taught by the witch of Moonglade, not to mention they were going with her on this task. It should be fine, right? Besides, they owed a lot to her. Stifling the onsetting fear, Ube would agree to go with.
Ships weren't new to Ube, being an islander. They spent a majority of the time on deck helping the crew with whatever they needed: Tying knots, cleaning, and all the sort you would expect to keep things ship-shape. A long day at work later, Ube was fast asleep, exhausted from the seemingly endless chores. No dreams were had but... there was a noise. A scuffle, yelling, followed by the familiar sound of loud crowing.
The half-demon shot up, panic and worry filling their head as they assumed the worst. To their dismay, it was much more terrible than they thought: a friend shackled by what seemed to be pirates, a raven screaming their head off, and a pixie in panic. Kamille's voice snapped them out of their haze, the voice telling them to open a hatch. Ube eyed the exit as Mischief scratched at the glass. They leapt out of the bed, one of the pirates darting forward to prevent them from opening the hatch. Reeling their foot back and ensuring they would not hit the raven, Ube delivered a harsh kick to the glass of the hatch, their foot piercing through. Pulling it back to allow them to escape, that pirate from before promptly grabbed onto Ube's wrists, handcuffing them immediately. The darker purple stripes that decorated the fellblood's arms and waist glowed a vibrant pink as they attempted to begin a cast. Though, as quickly as it began, the glow dulled and eventually faded. "W-what? Why can't I-" Ube's thoughts were immediately cut off as a blunt object struck the top of their head, right on one of their short horns. Their vision became blurry, slowly turning to a black expanse, as they slumped to the floor. "Ah... At least... those two will be ok..."
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Post by Zak on Jun 4, 2023 19:38:30 GMT -5
“Fuck,” Zak muttered from beneath the gag that was stuffed in his mouth as he stumbled on another protruding rock. His temple throbbed from the cut above his eye, his ribs ached, and he was fairly certain the gash in his side was still bleeding. Those damned brigands needn’t have bothered shackling his wrists behind his back. Restraints hadn’t really been necessary. When the ambush occurred, Zak had been thrown 30 feet into a wall and some kind of anti-magical binding had been slapped around his wrist before he could react.
As helpless as he felt without his magick, all he could do was prepare for the first opportunity to gain any advantage. The narrow passage they now traversed was damp and musty, the walls of the cave dripping with earthen sweat. Stumbling again, Zak felt a weariness he hadn’t felt in a long time, if ever. At least they had removed the hood, thank the gods… the thought was quickly cut short. The gods are dead, he reminded himself. The gods be damned. For certain, no help was coming from that direction, if it had ever been there at all.
The past few months had been confusing for Zak. Most of his life he had believed that access to elemental powers had been gifted to him by the gods, but with the revelations of recent months, it had become crystal clear that only chaos reigned in this universe. The only help a lowly archmage could depend on was relying on their own discipline and instincts to temper the force of chaotic elemental forces. Reverence was no longer in play for Zak. Lately, he had begun to embrace the growing darkness seeping into his mind and soul. What was the point of it all anyway?
His body jerked as his captor pushed him forward, interrupting his dark thoughts. Up ahead, the pathway opened up into a large cavern. Low torch light flickered showing vague figures moving to and fro among the shadowy confines. As they moved further into the cave, Zak noticed what appeared to be dozens of containers. Some were cages of various sizes, while others were some kind of …shipping crates maybe?
Suddenly, the Dragonkin goon grabbed Zak’s arm and stopped in front of one of the cages. A sneer crossed the goon's face as he opened the cage. “Get in,” he growled, then shoved Zak into the cell, locked him in, and strode quickly away. “Hey hey wait,” Zak tried to yell through the gag. Well, shit. The bastard could have uncuffed me at least, he thought before dropping slowly to the floor and leaning back against the bars of the cage. I just need to close my eyes for a second, was his last thought before falling asleep from sheer exhaustion.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Jun 6, 2023 17:51:08 GMT -5
Their travels were anything but comfortable. Kamille felt drifting endlessly between the waking world and the darkness, and neither of the options were comforting. Even her dreams were filled with nightmarish sequences of screams and muffled fighting... or was it the real world around her bleeding into her dreams as well?
Her head hurt terribly, a constant throbing at her temple that blurred her vision. Even if she didn’t have those cursed manacles on, she was in no state of casting any spell, handled with no care as she got carried around like a sack of potatoes, most of the time, she realized now, with a dirty sack over her head.
There was no way of telling where they were or how long they've been out, but clearly they weren’t in a ship at sea anymore. She couldn’t feel the salty air or chilly breeze, and instead she felt ash and dust getting caught in her throat, the familiar smell of sulfur and smoke reaching her nostrils.
Were they at the Ashlands?
This was disturbing news, for the Ashlands had been the center of all that activity so far - the kidnappings, the earthquakes. She'd be happy to be back to the Ashlands if the situation wasn’t as dire.
She was being carried. Yes, that much was clear. And she still had her manacles on. They would probably want to keep a close eye at her - it wasn’t the first time she'd been kidnapped in a surprisingly short amount of time. Was she being targeted or just had an insane amount of bad luck?
Whoever was carrying her was surprisingly careful when depositing her on the ground, especially when they noticed she was awake and struggling a bit. The sack was removed from her head, and she blinked as a cell was locked before her. Around her, through the stars still exploding before her eyes, she eventually recognized the inside of a stone cell. A quick glance around told her that there were several cells there, most of them already occupied.
Her head was hurting so much....
...wait, where as Ube?!
She quickly scrambled back to her feet, grabbing the bars of the cell and looking around.
"Ube? UBE! Are you there? Are you hurt? Ube! You......... By th-.... wait........ Is that.... Zak?! Is that you, Zak?!"
Among the maddness Charon was thrown into, one of the last things she expected was seeing a friendly face from the past. All the pain pushed aside, Kamille smiled wide as she recognized a fellow mage from the guild and old friend.
What was happening here?!
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Post by Ube Calisto on Jun 6, 2023 23:19:16 GMT -5
"Where?..." Ube slowly awakened with a piercing headache. Their vision was blurry, only seeing fuzzy shapes in red. Lying on a cold metal surface, they continued to stare forward in attempts to focus their sight. Slowly, what came into view immediately put the fellblood off. A cramped room of red orange stone. Scanning from left to right, on the floor was the silhouette of a body laid unmoving, a plain tray holding only crumbs, and the iron bars one would expect for a cell.
They sat up, wincing from an unknown pain that surged all throughout their body. Ube checked themself, something feeling amiss already besides them being stuck in a cell. Their precious robes were replaced with dirty rags, hands bound by the cuffs that prevented magic, their tail painfully tightened into a knot around the cuffs. Past that, Ube's entire body was spotted in bruises and cuts, seemingly out of nowhere. Putting their hands up to their head, they felt where they were struck back on the ship. One of their horns was broken as they felt the sticky feel of blood in their hair. They retracted their hands immediately as the touch sent a stinging pain.
The self-inspection was cut short as the sound of metallic stomping was nearing from outside the bars. Frightened, Ube looked up to see a creature they had never seen before, a humanoid for sure but an important feature resembled that of a lizard. They noticed on the parts where the armor was cut off that this creature had red scales. Beyond that, the iron armor didn't give much in the way of information. The creature snickered in a condescending way, lifting the helmet slightly to reveal a sharp, toothy grin as it spat into the cell. "Fucking demons." It said, the voice being a gruff and older voice. The so-called demon was too much in pain to retaliate in any way. The armored, scaled-man walks off, banging on some of the other bars from nearby cells, purely for the hell of it. Ube looked over, curious as to who else was here. Their eyes widen, dread settling in. In the other prison cells housed more of their kind, other fellbloods. Many were injured, hurt in some way. Why? What was going on? It was too much. So much had happened for their first time outside of Moonglade. Ube curled up, tucking their knees to their head as they backed up into the wall. They were alone again, without their only of communicating nor the robes that held a large importance to them. They had no idea where they were or where Kamille was taken to. Hell, Ube didn't even know if they were even going to be in the same location as them. They held themselves tightly, trying but failing to keep from breaking down. Alongside all their worries, their pessimistic conclusions, and slowly festering anger to themselves and to these people who kidnapped them, one thought came to their head. "I wanna go home..."
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Post by Zak on Jun 8, 2023 10:15:42 GMT -5
Zak jerked awake, disoriented. The gag had loosened enough while he was unconscious that it now sat upon his chin. Zak coughed and spat to clear his throat of the taste of ash. His head still throbbed and his body ached from the battering he had taken. Inspecting the slash on his side, he was pleased to find that the bleeding had stopped. What now?
A wave of dizziness swept over Zak as he slowly rose to his feet and moved closer to the bars.The dragonkin and another guard who appeared to be human patrolled the area, occasionally banging the cell doors and yelling out insults.
Looking around he noticed that most of the nearby cells were occupied. Some of the prisoners were bound, and most appeared injured. Zak’s gaze paused momentarily on a particular cell that held a small fellblood huddled in the corner in obvious distress. Zak sighed, this felt like such an impossible situation. Without his magick, he couldn’t imagine how he was going to get out of this. Think Zak, think. You didn’t always have your mana to depend on. Zak stiffened in surprise. He knew that voice. Could it be? “Kamille,” he croaked, his voice coming out small and cracked. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Kamille!”
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Jun 10, 2023 13:47:30 GMT -5
Focus....
Focus!
The guards were still around, so she couldn’t do much in terms of planning something with someone else. Some kind of lizardkin seemed to be giving Ube a hard time, and she spent a few moments more taking in his features. Her head was still spinning though, so she had to rub her eyes to make sure they weren’t deceiving her. How did Zak end up there? And where exactly they were? Did Mischief and Mishap manage to slip out? Was Ube okay?! She wasn’t alone this time... She had to help Ube out too! And Zak! How did this happen?!
"I can’t believe it...... Zak! Is that really you?! How....?"
She took a step back, as one of the guards stood between them, one cell facing the other, snarling softly at them. But other than that, a silent warning, he didn’t do much. They probably weren’t too keen on having the prisoners talking too much amongst themselves, which was understandable. Other guard, however, came in afterwards the lizardman and halted abruptly when he spotted the Witch. He was a sun elf, contrasting enormously with the ambiance and companions, with a toothy grin that showed all his white teeth.
"Looks like someone missed our hospitality... Good afternoon, Witch."
Kamille flashed a smile at the elf. For fucks sake.... Even in hell she would see familiar faces. It made her think of the kind of company she's been keeping...
"I must say your accomodations last time were better, though.... This doesn’t look like a zeinavian pyramid. Where are we?"
"Apparently Fate wants you to be a part of this event, despite of what you want. I was wondering if you managed to escape or died back at Zeinav..."
"And what exactly is going to happen here?"
Despite already knowing each other, it looked like the situation had been the same as it was now, as captive and captor. The politeness in their speech betrayed the scorching and hateful glances. The elf wasn't answering her questions, as he was no fool to feed her with any piece of information.
"Enjoy your stay, Witch. It won't be long this time."
They were at the Ashlands, she knew it. The center of it all. Something dire was happening, and she needed to think of something fast. She spotted Ube, and her heart sank. They were her responsibility. If they got hurt.... Keep calm. Think. Don’t panic. She shot a pleading glance towards Zak, before an idea lightened her features. Before their captor exited the room, she shouted.
"Can you at least put me in the same cell as the fellblood? They are my apprentice."
It was probably the first time Ube would hear her refer to them as her apprentice. She wasn't a good liar, as they said, so the sentence held some truth to her.
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Post by Ube Calisto on Jun 10, 2023 16:58:28 GMT -5
Ube looked up from their knees, now paying attention to the voice beyond the bars. Looking over and looking carefully, they finally noticed their teacher, now thinking clearly. A wave of relief washed over them. Oh thank gods she’s ok. The guard looked over at Kamille, a face of thoughtful thinking as he pondered whether he should grant this request. His eyes moved back and forth between her and Ube as he worked through his decision making process. The witch appeared to be an important target based off her conversation with his boss. Though she was magic-less at the moment, he figured he shouldn’t risk it and moved towards Ube’s cell. They looked scrawny besides their legs. Plus, if they were an apprentice of the witch, they most likely also relied on magic. Ube’s eyes widened slightly. An opportunity! The man produced his ring of keys for the cells. “Try anything and you die on the spot.” He said as he unsheathed his blade. Ube nodded with false fear on their face a plan already forming. He opened the cell, immediately pointing his sword at the fellblood to keep a safe distance between them. They get off the metal “bed” and approached slowly. Ube squeezed past him, the guard not giving much room as to avoid the creature from running away. “Stand by her door. Don’t move a fucking muscle.” They made their over, taking this chance to look around the area beyond their stone room. Cells and cages containing many captives, crates with unknown items, all in this large opening within this cave. There were a few guards around but Ube would assume it would take maybe 10-15 seconds for them to get to them. That was probably enough time right? The guard stepped up, one hand pointing a blade at the fellblood, the other unlocking the cell door. Patiently waiting, Ube readied themselves with a sharp inhale. He opened the door. ”Alright, get i-“ The words spoken were forcefully cut off by the harsh foot of a fellblood’s kick. Ube spun, raising their leg high to match the height of the man as he struck the back of his head. Their face of what was once fear and worry, now replaced with an expressionless focus, though it did hold a gaze of hateful rage. The guard’s face collided with the bars of the cell, dropping the blade and key ring. Ube quickly leaned forward, grabbing hold of the ring and tossing it towards Kamille. The fellblood wasn’t done with their attack however, holding a large amount of resentment for the man that would help capture and harm others. They followed up with a forward kick aimed for the abdomen, knocking the man over onto hid back. A smile formed on Ube’s lips, their sharp teeth showing as they enjoyed the harm they were causing to this guard. Unfortunately, the other guards that stood around the room all saw what had occured, shouting and running over with weapons drawn. This was going to be difficult but its too late to go back now.
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Post by Zak on Jun 10, 2023 20:01:07 GMT -5
“ Keep quiet,” the guards growled when Zak tried to speak with Kamille. Seeing Kamille here and in danger both distressed him and gave him hope. She looked as beat up and injured as he felt. Zak shook his head, frustrated with their predicament. While Kamille spoke with the elven guard, Zak took the opportunity to retrieve a small metal pick from his boot, palming it discreetly in his left hand. Not feeling that it was quite time to act, Zak stayed alert, knowing Kamille had something up her sleeve. And sure enough, the Witch of Moonglade found a way to get the guards to open both hers and the tiefling’s cells. Zak stiffened in readiness as the guard opened the fellblood’s cage. He frowned, noticing the figure on the ground inside the cell. Was the bloke dead? No time to think on that at the moment because the second Kamille’s cell door opened, the fellblood proceeded to beat the shit out of the guard. Zak silently applauded their tenacity and the well-timed distraction it created. As discreetly as possible, Zak began working on the lock of his cell. His hands weren’t as steady as he would have liked. The manacles were restrictive and the lock pick felt foreign in his fingers. Now is not the time for weakness, he scolded himself. You can do this. Taking a deep breath, he inserted the pick into the lock, twisting it back and forth several times before he felt the familiar click as it unlocked (1). Zak quickly put the pick in his pocket, and turned his full attention to the altercation outside his cage. Zak didn’t move. Might be best to not alert the guards that his cage was unlocked until the most opportune moment. Suddenly an idea came to him. That body in the fellblood's cell… “ Wait a minute, you,” Zak cried (2), staring at Ube in mock horror, “ Wasn’t you in 'dat cage with Tucker. Ya probly got the pox too. Tucker don't look too good over 'der.” Zak shook his head adamantly, pointing towards all the guards. “Best stay away from ‘em both. I know for certain that 'ole Tucker has that Weeping Pox, that they does. Sure do hope ya all don’t catch it.” Zak groaned in agony. “ ASHEN POX!”
(1) - Lock Pick (2) - Smooth Talking
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Jun 15, 2023 14:44:04 GMT -5
Kamille looked surprised to see Ube's reaction. She had braced herself for something, but in the short amount of time they've been her apprentice, she still hadn't seen their physical prowess. It was certainly a relief to know they could take care of themselves - unlike her, that for all the power she got, still relied solely on her magic.
Almost solely.
The guards were alarmed by the fighting sounds... but then they hesitated. The closest one took a good look at the fellow inside Ube's cell, as Zak pointed. Kamille wasn't sure what Zak was talking about. Ashen pox? She never heard of it! But it made the guards second guess for a moment, and that ended up being all they needed.
"I ain't goin' near 'em... You go get 'em!"
"Why me? Yer not me boss! You go-"
"Idiots! Grab that crossbow! This is getting out of hand! YOU STOP RIGHT THERE LADY! Give me that!"
Kamille's cell door was already open by then, as the guard had done so to oblige to her request... Only to be promptly rewarded with a kick to the chest. She quickly stepped outside of her cell, but still remaining close. The Witch took a good look around, from Ube to Zak to the guards. Think, quick.....
"Is this what you want? Come and get it!"
She showed the key ring before him... And then threw it to a cell next to hers, right behind herself, so that the guard would have to get past Kamille to take it. Imediatelly, the prisoner of that cell got the keys and started to set himself free, passing around the keychain as he finished that. It would get really out of hand for the guards real quick...
But Kamille was still only a woman without her magic, half the size of any other guard. The guard rushed forward to stop the prisoners from getting free, only to be slammed in the face by Kamille's cell door as she swung it open. It only stunned him for a second, and it was with renewed anger he marched towards her with sword in hand, as she used her swinging door as her shield. Of course, it wasn't a perfect shield, and when he tried to stabb her through the bars, Kamille nearly got it right in the chest: instead, she dodged on the last second, still getting a nasty cut on her shoulder. She forced the door open once again, painfully locking the guard's arm through the bars.
It wouldn't take long, however, for the guard's brute force to overpower her as the element of surprise wore off. Behind him, two more guards approached to help, one of them carrying a crossbow.
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Post by Ube Calisto on Jun 15, 2023 17:13:02 GMT -5
Ube snapped out of their angered state for a moment upon Zak's words. Ashen Pox? Where have I seen that?... Wait- The fellblood began to panic, believing themselves to be sick. Completely forgetting the situation they were in, they took a moment to look over themselves and ensure they weren't showing any symptoms. Ube immediately paused in realization. They weren't sick... But it would make for a good excuse to force them away. That was probably what the man who had escaped intended.
They looked over at the guards who had now stopped their approach, refocusing on what they were trying to accomplish as one of them leaves to obtain a crossbow. Though, the sudden noise of metal slamming into metal made them jump as they turned to see a guard stuck at Kamille's cell door. An idea began to brew as they step forward, putting their hands over the guard and pulling back. The chains of the cuffs were now being tightly held against the man's throat. Ube pulled hard, dragging the man away from the door painfully with his arm still stuck in the door. He screamed in pain, letting go of the blade as Ube tugged him off fully off the bars. They held the man in between them and the two guards who had come ever closer. They got close to the guard's ear and began to fake a heavy cough. The man immediately writhed in panic. "Fuck! Fuck! Let me go! GUYS!" Ube defiantly spat in their direction as the guard with the crossbow kept it aimed on the two. "I can't get a good shot off!" "Fuckin' shoot em both! He's probably already sick!"
Ube, continuing their fake cough, looked towards Kamille and Zak. They nudged their head towards the exit as they slowly continued to approach the men. Amidst all the panic the fellblood was causing, now freed prisoners were unlocking their cells and making their way to the exit. "Shit, sound the alarm!"
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Post by Zak on Jun 18, 2023 20:24:00 GMT -5
Zak allowed himself a moment of satisfaction as he watched his ruse cause the guards’ fear of the ‘weeping pox’ to make them confused and hesitant. Hope flickered as the fellblood grabbed the keys from the fallen guard and tossed them to Kamille who passed them onto the next cell. We might just get out of this, he thought. If only… his frustration mounted at his lack of magick.
Zak’s gaze roamed the cave as he waited for the right moment to exit his cell and enter the fray. Chaos and confusion reigned in the cavern within minutes. Cage doors clanged open as the keys passed among the cells. Injured and dehydrated prisoners streamed out of their cages, looking for a way to escape. Most appeared confused on where to go, while a few dashed out of the cave as fast as they could.
The guards appeared to be just as confused as the prisoners; yelling at each other, afraid to approach not only the fellblood, but also their fellow guards. Zak noticed one guard move to retrieve a crossbow. As Zak kept track of the archer, a glint of light caught his eye. Shining brightly from within an alcove receded into the wall in a corner of the cave sat a translucent box. Wha’? Could it be? …I have to get to that box.
Zak knew he needed to act quickly; more guards were approaching. One guard moved closer to Zak’s cell, seemingly not feeling threatened since Zak appeared to be safely locked inside. Zak held his breath. Wait.. wait… NOW! Zak flung the cell door open directly into the guard’s chest causing them to fall prone. They attempted to grab Zak’s ankle as he exited the cell and moved past, but Zak kicked out, barely escaping the grapple.
Stumbling to regain his balance, Zak focused on getting to the alcove. With only that one thought in mind, Zak didn’t notice another guard come up from behind until he felt the sharp pain from the guard’s dagger as it grazed his side. Turning quickly, Zak swung his banded arm directly at the guard’s head. His only weapon; the heavy anti-magic band around his wrist. The guard fell back a step, and Zak took the opportunity to strike again. Not stopping to see the result of his blow, Zak staggered toward the alcove (now only a few paces away), one hand at his side staunching the blood seeping from his wound. I have to get to that box.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Jun 24, 2023 9:57:25 GMT -5
Kamille was quick to recover the sword from her guard... more to take it out of his hands than to use it. The sword didn’t feel right in her delicate, studious hands. But beggars can't be choosers, so that was more than she could have hoped for.
Chaos reigned in the room, and most of the prisoners already got to free themselves, quickly overpowering most of the guards, severely outnumbered.
Still, it seemed like no other prisoner was armed, unlike the few guards that remained.
Kamille looked around, trying to quickly evaluate the situation. Ube had their guard under control, and Zak was... apparently looking for something she didn’t understand yet. The Witch approached the guard that Ube had under his grip, pointing the sword to his face.
"How do we disarm the anti-magic field?"
"FUCK YOU! You are sick too! I may be sick too! DAMNED BE-"
"With my magic, I can heal you."
The promise made the guard stop to rethink, clearly weighing his options as Ube held him up against a few guards that tried to scramble to their feet. Maybe they took too long, but the guard with the crossbow suddenly saw their chance: he shot against Kamille. The bolt stuck to her shoulder, making her step back against the cell bars, wincing in pain. When the crossbow rose again in her direction, another bolt in place, they heard a familiar flutter of wings, attracted by the ruckus they created as he followed against the flow of escaping prisoners.
"CAWWWW! CAW CAW CAW!!!!! CAAAAAAAAAAAW!"
The raven did what he did best: he followed the chaos and built on it, flying up to the guard's face, scratching and clawing at his face. Mischief managed to make the guard scream and lower the crossbow, missing the shot by a lot. The guard in Ube's grip started to shift uncomfortably as he saw Kamille was getting paler - if she could really heal him, she couldn’t die.
"T-that box! It- It's a center of r-... Just... Destroy it and the anti-magic field will falter!"
That was good enough, but Kamille was in no condition of doing any good damage to it. A sharp pain irradiating from her shoulder, the small amount of strength she had already drained. She looked to the sword in her hand, and then raised her eyes to Zak.
"Zak! Destroy it!"
Pointing to the box, she slided the sword in his direction the best she could, imediately stepping back as to avoid another shot from the crossbow. Mischief was doing a good job at distracting the shooter, but now the man was shifting his attention to Zak, nocking another bolt in place while still trying to keep the raven away from his face.
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Post by Ube Calisto on Jun 24, 2023 15:08:25 GMT -5
Ube shifted their hands, pulling the two ends of the chains on their shackles that wrapped over the guard they were keeping hostage. They eyed the one the with crossbow as he took aim at Zak. Even if Mischief was stalling for time and causing a ruckus, they didn't want to chance a well-placed shot. Ube placed a foot back, yanking the chain and the guard with it towards the ground behind them. Then, they began to sprint towards the group, dragging the poor man by the chain around his neck. He coughed violently as he gasped for air. The sound of loud steps and metal bumping against the floor caught the group's attention. They raised their blades and pointed them at the approaching fellblood. Before Ube could reach them, one of them pulled out a large horn and blew into it, releasing a loud, reverberating sound throughout the cavern. Please break it in time Ube silently prayed as they reached the men. A man stepped out and began throwing out fast and broad cuts. 1The fellblood moved like water, dodging seamlessly with ducks and sidesteps before flinging their captive at the man. The two are sent tumbling back into the group, knocking over the crossbowman. That should be enough time.
Two of the men get up, one of them checking on the now passed out guard. Retrieving their swords, they instigated combat once more with the demon-like. The first one leaned forward with a stab aimed stomach. Ube moved to the side and returned with a heavy handed fist to the sword wielding arm. With the armor, it didn't seem to do much besides knocking it away. The other reacted with quick slash at the leg. This one firmly caught Ube before they could move out the way, leaving a gash on their shin. They hissed in pain.
1. Float Like A Butterfly
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Post by Zak on Jun 26, 2023 19:41:40 GMT -5
Vaguely aware of the ruckus happening behind him, Zak single-mindedly approached the shining box in the alcove. Wounded and knowing he could be attacked again at any moment did not slow his stride. His attention was momentarily diverted when hearing the caws of Kamille’s raven as Mischief entered the fray. He could only hope the raven, Kamille and the fellblood could keep the guards at bay until he reached his target. He was no good without his magic.
Hearing Kamille’s words spurred him on. His instincts had been correct. I have to get to that box.
A few more steps, and there it was. Within the alcove, a small ornate translucent chest glowed with a low green hue. As he stood in front of the box, Zak hesitated for a brief moment, not certain if the damn thing could even be destroyed without using magic. Would physical force even work? It will have to, he thought, as he raised his arm and swung down with all his might. The heavy anti-magic band around his wrist banged hard against the box. A slim crack appeared. Confidence growing, Zak struck it again. The crack grew larger, and the box split open with a hiss. The green crystal within flashed bright, then dimmed, and began to flicker weakly. Zak used all his remaining strength to smash the crystal with his banded wrist. Zak watched in satisfaction as the crystal disintegrated, the green light fading into darkness. Immediately, Zak could feel his mana rising up from within. His eyes closed for a moment savoring the feeling, a feral growl escaping his lips. Overtaken by the power building inside, Zak did not stop to consider his actions. Instinct took over. Zak whirled around and quickly shot off a bolt of DARK purple energy (1) towards the closest guard. Anger grew in Zak. His impulsive shot had only grazed the guard’s arm. Zak groaned in frustration. Get control of yourself, Zak thought, taking a deep breath. His gaze steadied and he took in his surroundings, quickly finding Kamille and the fellblood who were both visibly wounded and still in danger. This time taking better aim, Zak’s arm rose, reaching for his mana to get off another shot at the approaching guard.
(1) Chromatic Blast
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